At Town of Lewiston meetings, as in most government
sessions, residents are provided a certain time frame to express their comments
on town/government affairs. Most provide for a limited time at the beginning of
a meeting, some allow for timed comments at both the beginning and the end,
while still others allow for a much more open-ended comment period.

"Two-minute statements from the residents please,"
began Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Broderick. "Come to the mic, state your
name, and approximately two minutes."

And so it began.

"There are a couple of items you have yet to resolve,
and we would like you to look into," said former Councilwoman Paulette Glasgow,
a member of the Lewiston Taxpayer's Accountability and Action Alliance. The
newly formed group, comprised of roughly a dozen residents from both above and
below the hill, again visited with the Town Board, armed with comments on town
affairs.

Glasgow's comments ran the gamut of ethics codes, town
FOIL procedures, memory trees for departed town employees, to NYPA hydro money,
questions over a town decision for one or two ponds in a planned subdivision,
to open government concerns. As her comments began to run over three minutes in
length, she was kindly reminded by Broderick of her time.

As her statements went beyond four minutes, Glasgow
was again advised. But this time not as kindly.

"Paulette, we can look that up; we're (at) 4-1/2 minutes,"
Broderick said, this time responding to her comments on recent town decisions
and transparency, and remarks from Robert Freeman over open government.

That was met with shouts of "I'll give her my time"
from Alliance members.

Then came the gavel pounding from Broderick and the
response, "It doesn't work that way."

"It has in the past, it has been accepted, and when
did that change," resident Nancy Correa shouted.

Glasgow continued in a raised voice, "I just got three
more sentences. In the spirit of transparency we are requesting. ..."

Broderick interrupted, "Paulette, I could let you go
on all night."

As she was stopped once again, resident Steve Lowe
stepped in and concluded Glasgow's comments in less than a minute.

"In the spirit of transparency, (we are) requesting
that, prior to all the meetings, all information to be discussed in any board,
committee or commission be posted on the town's website two or three days prior
to the meeting. Thank you for your time. We look forward to these items being resolved,"
Lowe said.

Next to speak was Sanborn resident RoseMary Warren.
Among her host of concerns was the comments issue.

"Very disappointed residents are allowed only two
minutes, once a month. Because of that, only 24 minutes a year. The county
legislature, they let you speak twice. Niagara-Wheatfield School Board let you
speak twice, beginning and end," she said. "So I haven't figured out what the
problem is, with this two minutes, once. Whether you think it's going to last
too long. You don't tape it anymore. ... I'm an open government crusader and I
hope you change it."

That statement was met with applause.

Commenting on the public comments issue, the Alliance
later issued the following statement:

"The purpose of (a) resident's statement during a Lewiston
meeting is for the Town Board to hear the thoughts of the people they serve. It
should be a time where Town Board members receive input and ideas.

"Sadly, what has evolved are Town Board members who
have demonstrated they care little about what the residents say and more about
how long they say it, as was demonstrated by Mr. Broderick stopping a
resident's remarks because they ran out of time. The people suspect something
isn't right when free discussion is feared by the government.

"The Lewiston Taxpayer's Accountability and Action
Alliance hopes in the future the Lewiston Town Board will not only listen to
what residents have to say, but give them the courtesy of finishing."

Much later on in the Monday session, transparency, the
open meetings law and the time frame period for comments became an extended
discussion topic of board members, Broderick and Town Attorney Brian Seaman.

"The documents that are used in our meetings, is there
anything we can do to put those on our website?" Councilman Al Bax asked Town
Clerk Donna Garfinkel. He was referring to various town items contained in
prepared board packets, and requested they be availed to the public.

Seaman said he discussed the matter earlier with
Garfinkel.

"The open meetings law that was referenced, it doesn't
have to do with every thing, every document the board looks at. It has to do
with documents that are matters of open discussion at a meeting," Seaman said.
He noted the board has discretion on what it releases to the website.

"A local law, a resolution to be acted on, things like
that could be availed," Seaman said.

Town Board member Bill Geiben added, "It would
probably be better for the smooth flow of government, for people who come to
the microphone (at board meetings), to submit their comments a few days ahead
of time. We might be able to address them in a timely fashion (instead of at
the next meeting).

Responding to the earlier comments by Warren, Broderick
said, "I have been in the process, with Mr. Seaman, of changing the forum for
speaking, extending it to three minutes. We are working on that."

The matter was left with Broderick, the board, town
attorneys and Garfinkel to determine what items would ultimately be appropriate
for release to the website. As per Bax's motion, town attorneys would be
instructed to draft a procedure to town documents on the website.

The resolution was approved unanimously.

In other news from the session:

•Following discussion with Seaman, the Town Board, on
a 5-0 vote, approved an increase in Garfinkel's salary from $48,672 to $58,672,
plus a $2,300 stipend as registrar.

Garfinkel's salary increase was approved earlier in
budget discussions last fall, but later removed by interim Supervisor Ron
Winkley in December in a budget-cutting move. Seaman said Garfinkel's salary
increase would be per the public notice issued last fall and not be retroactive
to that time frame.

Negotiations between the town and the Ransomville and
Pekin companies were reportedly continuing.

The town will hold a public hearing on the fire
contracts at 6 p.m. Monday, April 25, at Town Hall.

•The Town Board approved a $19,789 agreement with
Moley Magnetics of Lockport to complete repair work on the town's non-operating
muck land pump to drain farmlands above the hill.

•The Town Board approved the Lewiston Environmental
Commission to review the state environmental quality review pertaining to the
Ellicott Development commercial/residential project in the Village of Lewiston.
Building and Zoning Inspector Tim Master said the village would retain lead
agency status on the multimillion-dollar project, but the town was required to
review the SEQR and respond.